


Sick Day

by That_Is_Americas_Ass



Series: Stranger Drabbles [13]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Billy Hargrove & Maxine "Max" Mayfield Have a Good Relationship, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Good Babysitter Steve Harrington, Humor, Max Is Adorable, Max gets sick, Protective Billy Hargrove, Pure unfiltered fluff, Sickfic, Soft Billy Hargrove, Steve Harrington is a Sweetheart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:09:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23135179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/That_Is_Americas_Ass/pseuds/That_Is_Americas_Ass
Summary: When Max comes down with the flu and Billy is forced to cover an extra shift at work unexpectedly, he calls in a favor to everyone's favorite babysitter.To be honest, getting a phone-call from a frazzled Billy Hargrove was not how Steve pictured his day going.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove & Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Billy Hargrove & Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington & Maxine "Max" Mayfield
Series: Stranger Drabbles [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1449595
Comments: 12
Kudos: 120





	Sick Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [4819CherryLane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/4819CherryLane/gifts).



> Wow. That just sums up how this year has been going so far, like, seriously WTF 2020!? I apologize that I haven't posted in a long time, things have just been crazy in my world. 
> 
> I apologize in advance because this is way out of character but I couldn't help myself. Billy is out of character, Max is out of character, I'm sorry it's not my normal stuff, but just roll with it. I just needed some good old fashioned fluff. A fluff fest. A fluffy fluff fest filled with mindless fluff. So much fluff even a unicorn would probably gag at the amount of fluff...
> 
> Natalie, this one is for you! You've been one of my biggest supporters thus far and I always look forward to hearing from you when you leave reviews. I hope this is enough fluffiness and sibling love for you!

December had hit Hawkins rather hard. 

For California born Billy Hargrove, it was the second winter he'd been forced to put up with after moving to Indiana. He and Max were _not_ built for snow! The camaro was _not_ built for snow! Human beings were _not fucking built_ to live in snow but for some reason back during the great settlements, some asshole decided to build colonies in the northern part of the USA because who needs warm weather? 

Fucking Indiana, man...

To make matters worse, Neil and Susan had decided to take their annual trip to celebrate their anniversary and planned on being gone for at least the next week and a half...awesome...

Ever since Billy turned 16, his old man and Susan had been leaving home more and more often. It had pissed Billy off to no end, but by now, he'd grown used to watching over Max and taking care of her, providing for them both when their parents wouldn't. Max relied on Billy more so than their parents and Billy enjoyed the feeling. He'd made the decision years ago that once he was able, if things didn't change for the better, he'd fight Susan for custody of Max. He prayed that his step-mother would change her attitude but if Susan continued to favor Neil over her daughter, Billy would remove himself and Max from the picture. 

With the pool shutting down and school out, Billy had taken on a part-time job at the local mechanic shop to bring in extra cash. He'd taken his camaro there to have it repaired after it was totaled during all-- _that._ The owner had been impressed with his skill and offered him a job since he was low staffed. Billy had jumped at the chance without question. 

Neil continued to leave them money to survive on but Billy saved every penny he could for the future. Each paycheck was divided up between food, gas, clothes if they were needed and the rest went into a private stash beneath the floorboards. By the time Max turned 18 or Billy got custody of her, he would have enough for a down payment on a small house. 

_Hopefully back in California where they belonged._

The only problem with working at the shop was that Billy had odd shifts. Winter was the worst due to wrecks and problems with the cold weather. The shop was always swamped during December and January. 

You know what else winter brings?

_Sickness._

And you know who gets sick _every single year_ without fail?

Here's a hint; it ain't Billy...

* * *

The last person Steve Harrington expected to get a call from on a dreary Thursday morning was Billy Hargrove. A frazzled Billy Hargrove. 

To be exact, a very frazzled Billy Hargrove asking him to come watch Max. 

When the other teen had asked Steve if he could come over and watch a sick Max, Steve couldn't say no. He was always there for the kids no matter what the reason. He may not know a lot about looking after sick little ones, but he is a kick-ass babysitter! It made him feel overjoyed to know Billy trusted him enough to look after Max, who was apparently very helpless at the moment. 

Steve may, or may not, have rushed to get a quick shower once he grabbed some clean clothes. After rapidly throwing clothes on over his semi-dry skin, he grabbed his keys and ran to the car, his toothbrush hanging from his lips. 

He wasn't proud to admit that he brushed his teeth with one hand and drove with the other, but he wasn't gonna show up at Billy's with morning breath!

Steve Harrington was classier than that, thank you very much. 

By the time he pulled up to the Hargrove house, his hair was dry and his pretty pearls gleaming white. Hurrying up the front steps, Steve was shocked when the front door burst open and Billy jerked him inside by his jacket, slamming the door shut again!

"Good morning?" Steve spluttered, watching Billy bolt around the house, clearly trying to gather everything he needed for work. Even without the mad dash, Steve could tell Billy was tense. There was a tightness in his firm shoulders and a frown across his brow, an unusual sight on the famous Hawkins bad boy. 

"Morning," Billy grunted, tossing a shirt on top of his duffel bag that sat beside the door. "More like shit morning, though."

"I imagine. You said on the phone that your dad and step-mom were gone on a trip?" Steve asked smoothly, knowing better than to use terms like _'parents'_ when talking about Neil and Susan Hargrove. How Billy and Max felt about their parents was no secret. 

"Anniversary thing. Don't ask."

Steve could understand that completely. His own parents often took off on trips at random or for business, however that didn't make him feel any better about being alone. He often wished he had a sibling, someone to have around at home like Billy and Max. 

_'You have the kids'_ his brain supplied, enough to make him smile softly. He did have his boys, as well as Max and Eleven. 

"Where's the sickie?" he asked, having only a base knowledge of the Hargrove house layout. Billy gestured to the last bedroom down the hall near the bath, the door halfway open. Heading for the room, Steve knew the second he looked in that it was clearly Billy's room rather than Max's, if the posters were anything to go by.

What really shocked him was the pale redhead dozing on Billy's bed.

Max was obviously very out of it, dead to the world after Billy moved her into his room. She was cocooned in his comforter with her own blanket thrown across her as well, her wild red hair lying limp across the pillow. 

Poor kid looked horrible.

"Does she get sick like this often?" Steve asked softly, afraid of disturbing Max from her slumber. 

Billy looked up from where he was writing something down in the kitchen, shrugging. "Usually only once or twice a year, but this time it's really bad for some reason. Probably your shitty Indiana weather. We aren't used to harsh winters or extreme cold."

It didn't occur to Steve that the siblings wouldn't be used to snowy weather, being from California and all. The harsh weather was a vast contrast to sandy beaches and sunshine on Christmas. Being from a warmer climate, Steve knew it would be awhile before either of the siblings became truly acclimated to the winter months. 

_Poor Max._

Shutting the bedroom door a little, Steve returned to the kitchen where Billy was standing. He could tell the other teen was reluctant to leave, but knew he had to. Steve knew how protective Billy could be when it came to Max and he also knew that it must be difficult to have to leave his little sister in the care of someone else. 

Even if it was Hawkins number one babysitter.

"Anything I should know before you head out?" Steve asked easily, trying to take the edge off of Billy trepidation. He was a little thrown when Billy gave him a small smirk that promised nothing but trouble. 

_Maybe this wasn't the best decision he'd made..._

* * *

_'Yep...this was a bad idea'_

"Don't give her anything really hot or ice cold, her stomach can't take it. Stick with bland food. Your best bet is toast but you have to put cinnamon sugar on it or she won't eat it. If she won't eat that then try peanut butter, chunky not smooth. You'll have to make new toast though because she won't eat peanut butter on buttered toast."

Billy continued to go through every rule he had when it came to taking care of Max, something that Steve was struggling to keep up with!

"Chunky peanut butter. Got it."

"Do _not_ give her milk. She'll beg you for it, don't give in. And no ice water either. She can have ice cream pops but only one every hour, and she'll only eat the orange ones," Billy opened the freezer and waved the brand new box of Popsicles at Steve's baffled face. "Make sure she drinks at least a couple bottles of water, the ones on the counter."

Steve took the pops with a raised eyebrow, "One every hour...okay?"

"You might get her to eat some peaches and cottage cheese if she's hungry, but I doubt she'll want any," Billy explained while throwing open the fridge to show Steve a container of cottage cheese next to an unopened can of peaches. 

"Peaches and cottage cheese?" Steve questioned with a sour face.

_Who the Hell eats peaches with cottage cheese?_

"Don't ask," Billy mumbled, heading for the bathroom. He opened the door and searched the cabinet for the pill bottle he'd placed there earlier. 

"Don't let her shower because she'll turn the water up too hot and only get worse. Run a bath for her, luke warm water. If her fever gets too high then try and get her into a cold bath to get it down. If it gets over 103 then take her to the hospital. Max runs cold, her normal temp is only around 94, maximum," he instructed while shoving a bottle of pills and a thermometer into Steve's hands. 

"93--104? No, wait, I got it now. Over 103, normal 94, got'cha."

Billy rolled his eyes and continued, "She'll be out of it for awhile, it's normal, so don't have a spaz attack if she starts to hallucinate shit. She doesn't handle medication very well. 2 pills, every 4 hours, on the dot. Give her some toast with it and a full bottle of water. I gave her some at 7 so at 11 give her another dose, got it?"

"2 pills every 4 hours," Steve assured, glancing at the pill bottle to read it over as well. The pills were high prescription meds, the kind you got from the hospital. He briefly wondered just how bad Max's health could get if Billy was giving her this shit. 

Following Billy back into the living room, Steve deposited the pills and thermometer on the table as he watched the other teen move about the room. 

"She won't watch a movie because it hurts her eyes so put music on instead, my radio's already set to the rock station. Keep the lights low. If she sleeps then keep everything on or turning it all off will wake her up," Billy stated, fumbling with his jacket. "And make sure she has her Looney Tunes blanket cause she won't sleep without it."

"Really?" 

Billy shrugged mildly, "It's like a security thing."

Steve feels a bit overwhelmed by the demands and feels like he should have written it all down. What if he forgot something? What did Billy say about food and the meds? 104 temp? No! 103! Hospital! Popscicles every 2 hours--No! Wait! 

_Shit!_

"Don't worry, Harrington. It's all right here. Shops number is there too," Billy said with a smirk while grabbing a folded piece of paper, handing it over. It was a full list of instructions to go by. 

_Hargrove's really on top of this shit._

It was pretty impressive to Steve, he'd admit that he never would have pegged Billy as the _nurturing type_ of sibling. Everyone knew Billy was protective and a bit possessive over his baby sister, but to see this side of him was new. Steve was pleasantly surprised by the revelation. 

Billy brushed past him towards his bedroom, Steve following along silently. Max was still asleep inside her blanket burrito, her red locks mused against the plaid pillow case. She was pale, much paler than usual, with a light sheen to her skin. Steve would bet anything that the kid was running a fever again. He stood at the door quietly as Billy woke Max up briefly, brushing her hair back to rouse her. Tired, blue eyes blinked from beneath the blankets, Max's flushed face peaking out from under Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.

"I gotta go for awhile," Billy mumbled, seeing Max stare up at him in confusion. 

"Where?" she muttered, rubbing at her eyes. 

"Work. I have to cover a shift for someone."

"Hav' to?"

"They got no one else. I'll be back tonight, alright? Harrington's gonna look after you 'til then," Billy nodded his head to the door where Steve was standing, the other teen smiling lightly at Max, giving her little wave. 

"Don' go?" Max whispered, crying silently while reaching up towards her brother. 

Billy sighed and leaned down, pushing his forehead against hers. He knew she hated being separated when she was sick, becoming extremely clingy. It was just something he'd grown used to. 

"I have to, babygirl."

Max grumbled, "Not a baby..."

"Yeah, you are," he teased her. "Try and sleep some more, I'll even say please."

"No' you won'," she smiled softly.

Billy smirked, "Nah, I won't."

He brushed her hair back before standing back up, pulling the blankets back up tightly around Max's trembling body. Her skin was still cool to the touch, yet her fever continued to dominate her temperature. He gnawed at his lower lip as he felt her forehead again, making a mental note to stop by the drugstore for some ice packs. 

At the door, Steve watched the whole exchange from the doorway and felt his heart clench, seeing a side of the siblings he never thought existed. He almost caved when Max's eyes got misty, wondering if he could talk Billy out of leaving too. Alas, he knew Billy had to go make money, no matter how much either sibling wished he didn't have to. 

Once Max drifted back off, both boys left her alone and headed to the door. Billy grabbed his bag, hesitating at the steps. 

"Check her temperature every couple of hours. You've got the shop number, right? I'll call you on my breaks and check on her."

"I've got the shop number, see?" Steve waved the piece of paper Billy had given him already. "Everything will be fine."

"Anything happens to her--"

"You'll kill me. I know, I'm familiar with you. Now get outta' here, you're already late."

Steve shut the door after Billy finally headed out, hearing the camaro start up and head down the road. Locking the door just in case, he headed for the kitchen to grab himself something to drink. 

He _really_ hoped this wasn't going to be as hard as Billy made it out to be.

* * *

For the first hour, things are quiet. 

Steve turned the radio on in Billy's room for Max and let her sleep. It was only when he was flipping through a magazine that he heard Max cry out for her brother. 

Standing, he rushed into the bedroom to find Max rubbing her eyes and trying to sit up. She was still really pale, not to mention swaying a little from fatigue.

"Billy's at work, Max, remember? He'll be back later on, though."

It tore at him to hear Max whimper quietly, murmuring how she wanted her brother. 

"I know, sweets. It's just for a little bit, okay?" Steve tried to assure the girl as best he could. "You want anything to feel better? Hungry? Ice cream, maybe?"

Max shook her head and laid back down, burrowing beneath the covers. She rolled over towards the wall and shivered, prompting Steve to carefully tuck the blankets back around her. He figured it would be best to let her sleep for awhile longer.

While Max is slept, Steve decided to do a little snooping around the house. He'd never been inside the Hargrove household for very long, never enough to actually look around. The living room was the largest part of the house right off the kitchen, but it was split into a divided great room. It was like they'd turned the dining room into a separate living area with a small TV. There were no pictures on the walls, no family portraits, not even any embarrassing baby pictures. It was odd to see such a lack of _family_ inside the house. There wasn't even anything really sentimental around either, just the basics of what one would normally find in a house. Mix matched furniture, some mail laying on the counter, a clock on the wall. There was nothing that really stood out.

Other than Billy's weight lifting set in the corner and Max's skateboard laying beside the door, there was nothing personal about anything in the house. 

_How odd._

A quick peak inside the master bedroom proved to be the same. Besides the jewelry box on one of the nightstands, Steve would never know which side was Mrs. Hargrove's.

There were still no pictures. 

_Weird._

Heading back into Billy's room to sit with Max for awhile, Steve finally took a good look around the bedroom. Unlike the rest of the house, it was obvious that a teenage boy lived there. Billy's room was laid out just like you'd think a teenagers would be. From the corner bed to the piled clothes, the couch with laundry all over it, beer cans stacked on the mirror stand, the stereo set up on top of a pile of crates.

_Not to mention the posters on the walls._

It all screamed Billy Hargrove. 

The entire room had a mixed scent of cigarette smoke, overpowering cologne, laundry soap and a very faint musk on top of that, probably Billy's natural scent mixed with everything. It wasn't unpleasant, quite the opposite in fact. 

Steve smiled at the Metallica poster above the bed and rolled his eyes at the poster attached to the closet door. Typical beach babe posing for a magazine cover. 

_Gross..._

Beside the dart board on the wall, Steve noticed that Billy had a handful of Polaroid photos pinned up on a cork board. There was one of a group of teens on a beach, Billy was standing near the middle with a large smile on his face. 

A real smile...

 _'Those must be his friends in California,'_ Steve thought sadly, trying to picture a happy Billy on a beach somewhere, smiling and enjoying life. 

The next picture was another one of Billy, this time he was sitting on a couch with another teen next to him, smoking what appeared to be a joint while grinning, smoke curling from his lips. It was probably taken a party or something, but both Billy and the other boy were laughing. 

It was strange to see the hard ass look so relaxed and carefree, completely unlike the Billy Hargrove Steve had come to know. Then again, if Steve had been stolen away from the life he had and taken across the country to start a new life somewhere else well into his late teens, he'd probably be pissed off at the world too. 

The next couple of pictures were of Max, at least Steve was pretty sure it was Max. 

The first was a candid shot of a tiny redheaded girl sitting in the sand, her arms wrapped over a large surfboard in front of her while she looked out at the ocean. If Steve had to guess he would say that she was holding onto Billy's surfboard. From the look of it, Max couldn't have been older than about 6 or so. 

The other picture was of an older Max. This time she was leaning back against the camaro with sunglasses on, her arms crossed over her chest as she blew a large bubble with pink bubble gum. She was wearing a Motley Crue tee and ripped up jeans, her skateboard leaned up against her leg. The kid looked like a total punk, but it was cute. 

Beside those pictures was another candid shot, only this time it was one of Billy while he was surfing. The sunlight was just right behind him, outlining his body as he rode out a wave. He was dressed only in shorts and a tan, a determined look on his face. Another odd thing Steve noticed was that Billy's hair was pulled back, something he'd never seen before. It completely changed how the other teen looked really.

The last picture was not one of Billy or Max, but of a blonde woman. She was sitting on a porch dressed in jeans and a soft yellow blouse, her hair was pushed back by a pair of sunglasses perched on top of her head. She was smiling at the camera, a gentle look in her lovely blue eyes. 

_This must be Billy's mom..._

The picture was older, worn around an edge like it had been gripped tightly one too many times. He kind of wanted to touch it and see if there was a date written on the back but he didn't want to mess up any of Billy's things.

Plus, the guy would most likely murder him if he ever found out. 

It was obvious where Billy's looks came from. The resemblance between the two was unreal, their eyes were almost identical along with that smile. He wished he knew what Billy's mom's name was but knew better than to ask. Maybe he could ask Max sometime?

_Speaking of..._

It was almost time for Max to get some more medicine. 

* * *

Steve wanted to go back in time and profusely apologize to the poor school nurse that had to deal with sick children all day long. This shit was _not_ easy! Have you ever tried to give medicine to an angry kitten?

It's a struggle.

 _'How does Billy do this?'_ Steve thought helplessly, attempting every angle he could think of to get Max to take her meds. He tried to make her cinnamon toast like she wanted but ended up using too much sugar. 

_Attempt #1: fail._

He tried again, getting the bread perfectly toasted and evenly spread with butter, but then he used too much cinnamon.

Of course...

_Attempt #2: fail._

Okay...here we go. 

Third time is the charm! Once again, the bread was toasted perfectly with the best butter consistency in the history of toast! He ended up taking out a set of measuring spoons and evenly measured out an equal amount of cinnamon to sugar ratio! 

_Attempt #3: FUCKING VICTORY!_

Max munched on her toast quietly, sitting at the table because _'Billy doesn't like food in his room'._ Steve was under no obligation to argue, he was just happy she was eating something.

However, he couldn't get her to drink any water...no matter how much he begged. 

In lieu, he gave her a Popsicle in hopes that it will be enough to keep her hydrated for now. While Max sucked on her frozen treat, Steve gulped down two bottles of water...no point in Billy seeing evidence of his failure.

As Steve starts to tidy up the kitchen, he catches Max heading for the fridge. He cautiously watched her look through the fridge, wondering if she wanted some peaches and cottage cheese or something besides toast. 

"Max, wait!" he yelped, diving for the milk jug trying to make an appearance! Snatching it quickly, he hesitated when soft, blue eyes gazed up at him tearfully, looking more like a toddler than a young teen. 

_Oh, you cruel child..._

Steve cursed himself, he couldn't say no to those ocean eyes...but he _could_ keep there from being any milk. Thinking quickly, he turned and just dumped the whole fucking carton down the drain! 

_'Way to totally overreact, Stevie.'_ he thought, watching Max stumble back towards the hallway. He heard her close the bedroom door and soon heard the bed squeak quietly, knowing the kid was going back to sleep. 

Tossing the empty carton into the trash, Steve made a mental note to buy Billy a new gallon of milk...

Steve wasn't sure how long he'd been watching TV, but he startled when he heard Max shuffle into the living room. She had a little more color in her cheeks but was complaining that she was too cold. After feeling her forehead and confirming she was still running a fever, Steve offered to run her a bath, it might make her feel better.

Being diligent about keeping the water luke warm rather than hot, Steve added some bubbles that Max said were hers. Something about eucalyptus and mint bath salts making her feel better? Not wanting to disappoint her, Steve did as she asked and added the bubble mixture for her.

Leaving Max to soak, Steve headed back to the living room to continue watching mindless TV. He was tired, both physically and mentally already. Who'd of thought taking care of a sick kid would be so taxing? 

Leaning back against the couch, Steve let his eyes drift shut for a minute. 

_'Just for a minute.'_

* * *

He fell asleep.

He fell asleep?

_...Oh fuck, he fell asleep!_

Jumping up in a frantic rush, Steve ran to the bathroom only to find the bath drained and the room empty. Hoping she had merely returned to the bedroom, he checked Billy's room only to find it empty too. 

"Max?" he called out, wondering if she was in her room. 

_No Max._

Kitchen?

_Nope._

Master bedroom?

_Na-da._

It was only when Steve began to walk back towards the living room did he notice how cold it seemed, a sudden draft chilling his arms. Turning towards the back of the kitchen he quickly realized the back door was open. 

"Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!"

_Billy was gonna kill him if he lost Max!_

Running outside in just his socks, Steve almost had a damn heart attack when he saw Max standing on her skateboard, on the ice! In her pajamas! With _no_ shoes!

"Max! No! Off the skateboard!" he cried hysterically, momentarily forgetting that there was a sheet of ice covering the driveway...

_Cue the epic fail of the night._

One foot slipping along the icy ground was all it took for both feet to go out from under him, causing Steve to slam straight on his back with a scream. Gravity then decided to make herself known as he went aquaplaning across the ice, careening right past Max who managed to retain her balance on wheels! She watched him slide down the driveway only to watch him crash right into the dumpster! 

Steve was pretty sure his spine was now compacted after that lovely mishap...

It took awhile to herd Max back into the house, unfortunately.

Steve was strong but he was not as strong as Billy and knew he wouldn't be able to carry Max back up the steps. Once he managed to get her back inside, he gets her to change into warm clothes and warm socks, doubling up on the socks! Gathering up every blanket he could find, Steve bundles her up, paranoid that she would get worse after being out in the cold.

Thankfully, Max is soon asleep within minutes.

Trudging back into the living room, Steve collapsed on the couch. He now had a bruised back to match his bruised ego...

* * *

A loud scream is not the greatest wake-up call to have...

Steve jumped when he heard Max cry out suddenly, rushing to the bedroom thinking something was wrong. With their fucked up lives there was no telling what could go wrong, so it was natural to react badly when someone screamed! Bursting into the bedroom, Steve found Max staring around her as though she were trapped in her nightmare. 

"Max?"

Wild, blue eyes darted around the room frantically, unable to see what was really in front of her. Max was caught up in her nightmare. 

_'Okay, think Stevie! Billy said she would probably hallucinate. Don't lose your shit!'_ he thought, trying to find a way to calm Max down without scaring her. Stepping closer to the bed, he tentatively tried to get her attention. 

"Max? Tell me what's wrong, honey."

"Billy?"

"No, sweets, it's Steve, remember?"

"No--no, Billy, t-the Min' Fay--got 'em!"

Steve was confused as to what Max was saying for a minute, trying to distinguish her words enough to make sense of them. She apparently had a nightmare about Billy, that much was obvious, and something about the Mind Flayer?

_Oh..._

"Oh, sweets..." he said softly. 

Max dreamed that the Mind Flayer had won. Most likely that it got Billy in the end and that they lost, a dream Steve himself often had on his worst nights. Knowing there was no way he would be able to convince Max that Billy was okay, he went to get the phone so she could speak to her brother herself. 

"Come on, come on," Steve chanted, holding the phone to his ear as it rang over and over. He didn't want Billy to think he needed to come home or anything, but he knew Max needed to speak to her brother or she would make herself sick with worry. When he finally got someone to answer the phone, Steve asked to speak to Billy, telling whoever it was that it was Steve calling. 

It took 4 seconds to get Billy on the line. 

"What's wrong?" Billy demanded, his deep voice rumbling over the phone line. 

"Just a really vivid nightmare I think. You said those drugs and her fever might cause hallucinations, right? I'm pretty sure she had one and you need to talk to her," Steve explained quickly. "4th of July, man..."

"Give her the phone."

Not arguing, Steve sat down next to Max who was still shaking, getting the phone to her ear so she could hear Billy's voice. It took a moment, but soon Max's eyes began to clear from their haze. 

"Billy?" she mumbled, her voice cracking from tears lodged in her throat. "Bu' I saw you..."

Steve let her hold the phone once she realized she was speaking to her brother, sitting patiently beside her hearing only one side of the conversation. 

"Dream?" Max asked softly, seeming to understand that what she saw wasn't real. "Come home soon?" 

Steve smiled and shook his head, now he understood how Max had Billy wrapped around her finger. When the little red head wanted something she usually got it without question. 

"Not hungry," Max stated petulantly. "But-- _fine..._ one peach...two peaches?...toast too?...Ste' can' make it right, he sucks."

Steve gasped, offended, "Hey! I'm sitting right here!"

"Steve, please, not now, I'm on 'da phone."

"Cheeky brat..." he grumbled. 

"He slipped on 'da ice too!...Outside, he slid pas' me, funny..."

_Oh no..._

"Okay, Max, give me the phone, please?" he pleaded, reaching for the phone in her hand. 

"I was skating--I didn' fall."

"Max, please stop talking."

"Bu' I couldn' find shoes?"

_Fuck!_

"And we're done!" Steve exclaimed, snatching the phone from Max and pulling it to his own ear.

_He fought the sudden urge he had to just hang up..._

"Okay, before you freak out let me fill in the blanks!" he pleaded quickly, hoping Billy was in a forgiving mood. 

"Harrington, why was she outside?" Billy growled over the line, his rough tone terrifying even across a damn landline!

"Max was taking a bath and I made sure it was only warm water like you said. I went to the living room and may have had a small existential crisis before falling asleep, on _accident,_ and I woke up and couldn't find her anywhere in the house and then I saw the back door was open and I ran outside in only my socks! I saw her standing on her skateboard at the end of the driveway and I'm still confused as to how she was able to stand like a statue on the ice on a freaking wheels when I couldn't even walk on it! Then I slid and fell on my ass, used my back as a snowboard and hurtled down the icy driveway and crashed into the dumpster...and I'd also like to point out that your sister laughed at my pain...but everything's fine, I swear! Aside from nightmares, I promise you she'd perfectly fine!" Steve explained as fast as he could, taking a giant gulp of air by the time his speech was over. 

"She'd better be," Billy rumbled. "Put her back on."

Not wanting to test Hargrove's wrath, Steve handed Max the phone again and watched her listen to whatever it was that Billy told her. She cast him a sly smile like she knew she'd gotten him into trouble. 

_Evil child._

"M'kay, I'll tell 'em...bye," Max mumbled and hung up the phone, looking up at Steve. "Billy said to say tha' if I get any sicker then...then?"

Steve watched Max drift off mid-sentence, like she was trying to remember what her brother had _just_ told her!

"Then _what,_ Max?"

"Don' 'member..." she shrugged, laying back down to snuggle up beneath the covers. 

Groaning, Steve face-palmed himself and prayed he would survive the rest of the night.

* * *

For the next 5 hours, Steve's limits were put to the ultimate test...

He eventually became a master at making toast with cinnamon sugar, not so much on the peanut butter. He managed to get Max to drink a few bottles of water but not enough to really satisfy him. He knew Billy would be annoyed with him on that front. Water aside, Max did manage to consume 10 Popsicles, a small portion of peaches and cottage cheese which Steve couldn't watch her eat...because... _ugh..._

Steve made sure to check Max's temperature at least once every 2 hours. It never reached over 100 which he was thankful for, unsure of how he would handle a high fever. 

Even though Max couldn't stand to watch a movie, she did agree to lay with Steve in the living room while he watched a cheesy horror flick on TV, even munching a few pieces of popcorn. Half way through the gruesome B-rated film, Steve decided he would try and ask Max some questions that had been burning in his head all day. 

"Hey, Max? Can I ask you something?"

"What?" she mumbled, sleepy eyes gazing up at him. 

Biting his lip, he wondered if he was prying but figured it couldn't hurt to ask. "What was Billy's mom's name?"

"Is..." Max whispered. 

"What?"

" _Is,_ not was. Was means past tense..."

 _'So she is still alive.'_ Steve thought, wondering what the story was. He figured it must have involved a divorce at some point and possibly a custody battle, but what was the story? 

"Sorry...what _is_ her name?" he asked instead. 

Max smiled a little, "Lilian, but she's Lily."

Remembering the picture of the woman in the photo, Steve thought she looked like a Lily. 

"Can I ask what happened between her and Billy dad?" he ventured, again wondering if he was overstepping. 

Rather than answer immediately, Max stared up at the ceiling for a minute or so, like she was thinking over her answers. It was a few minutes before she spoke again, keeping her words quiet. 

"Lily left Neil and Billy...a long time ago..." she whispered, recalling the story that her mom had told her. "Billy was mad over that for a long time, he blamed me and mom for Lily leaving him behind."

"I'm sure he was just upset and hurt over losing his mom," Steve offered. 

"He never liked my mom, but I don't blame him since she changed after marrying Neil. Like--mousy?" Max shrugged, not really sure how to explain it to Steve in a way that he would understand. 

"Like she's afraid?" Steve asked softly, knowing the history behind Neil Hargrove. "Maybe she's just scared?"

Again, Max just shrugged. She knew her mom was scared of Neil, for good reason, but that didn't excuse her lack of attention when it came to her own daughter. 

"Billy gets angry with her because she stopped being a mom--make sense?" she explained. "He took over for her."

Steve smiled at that, "Yeah, I guess he did."

In the big picture of things, Billy did make a good parent for Max. Not only did he provide for them both, but he also had the protective instincts of a lioness protecting a cub. Even though Susan Hargrove wasn't the best mother, Billy more than made up for that role on his own. 

As the movie dragged on and another followed, Steve conversed with Max quietly to pass the time. He learned a lot of things about Billy and about Max. They'd lived in a small two story less than a block from the beach outside of Santa Barbara, but they both went to school in the city.

Max learned how to skate at a young age because she was fascinated by it.

Billy would take her surfing with him, Steve could picture Billy walking to the water with his board while Max toddled along behind him.

He learned that Max chose her specific style just to annoy her mom, preferring boys clothes over anything too girly.

Billy grew his hair out to piss off Neil at first, but soon found that he enjoyed having long hair.

Max even told him that Billy loved banana ice cream and did _not_ have girlfriends, but was not opposed to the idea of a relationship. 

_Cue the eyebrow wiggle._

Soon enough, Max had drifted off to the bedroom again and Steve was left watching tacky movies alone.

* * *

The clock ticked on and on, time passing by slowly, but it wasn't long before Steve heard the tell all sound of a familiar muscle car coming down the road. 

_Thank the Heavens!_

Getting up from the couch, Steve made it to the door just as Billy shut the camaro off, swinging the door open. He watched the other teen carefully walk across the icy driveway without slipping. 

"Plant your feet, Hargrove," Steve teased from the front door. 

"Shut up, Harrington."

Billy eventually made it to the door without issue, dropping his bag inside the hallway as he discarded his jacket. 

"I don't know how you do this, dude..." Steve sighed, watching Billy head towards the living room. "One day and my stress levels are maxed out...pun not intended."

"She gave you Hell didn't she."

"Seriously, how do you handle her like that?"

"She _listens_ to me," Billy smirked mockingly, laughing at Steve's annoyed huff. 

"Do you mind if I grab a quick shower?" Steve asked, knowing he probably didn't smell the greatest being surrounded by sickness all day. 

Billy just shrugged, "Towels are on the top shelf."

As Steve headed off to the bath, Billy walked into his bedroom to grab a change of clothes and to check on Max. The red head was fast asleep, half the blankets thrown to the side.

Her fever must have broken.

Rifling through his closet, he pulled out a sleeveless grey top and some old jeans, quickly tossing his dirty grease stained clothes into the hamper to wash. Once he finished dressing, he decided to wrap his hair up in a bun rather than deal with it. His curls were unruly since he hadn't gotten the chance to shower that morning or use any product to tame them. 

Stepping over to the bed, he gently shook Max awake so he could move her out to living room, knowing she would be clingy. It didn't take long before blue eyes slowly opened, taking a moment to focus on him. 

"Come on," he coaxed softly. "Up you get."

Max grumbled, holding her arms up. Billy rolled his eyes but gave in, wrapping the Loony Tunes blanket around her before scooping her up. Max wrapped her legs around his waist, leaning her head against his collarbone. She always felt small next to her brother, but then again Billy was kinda buff for a teen, so. 

Heading for the living room, Billy managed to locate the remote before settling on the sofa, kicking his legs up on the table while Max settled herself on top of him. She snuggled down into her blanket, keeping her head tucked up under Billy's chin, using his muscled shoulder as a pillow. Whenever she was sick, Max got a free pass to cuddle up as much as she wanted, and she always took full advantage. 

It didn't take long for her to drift off to wonderland once again...she had a date with the white rabbit and the blue caterpillar. 

When Steve emerged from the shower, feeling human once more, he skidded to a stop when he found Billy and Max in the living room curled up on the couch. 

_'Oh my God--!'_ his brain cried, finding the whole scene absolutely adorable!

"Not a fuckin' word," Billy growled without looking up, glaring at the TV instead. 

Steve just smiled, holding up his hands in surrender. 

"You wanna stay for some dinner? Call it payment for watchin' her for me," Billy offered, making room for Steve to sit down. 

"I'm always happy to help the kids out, man," Steve waved it off. "I may not know much about taking care of sick little ones but we're both still breathing so I call it a win."

"Pizza and a movie?" 

"Sounds amazing."

* * *

They ended up ordering a couple large pizzas to split, arguing briefly about what _does_ and _does not_ belong on pizza! They watched Disney's Robin Hood after Steve found out they owned it, humming along to The Phony King of England. 

It ended up being a really awesome night. 

By the time Steve left and headed home, singing under his breath, it was almost past midnight and he was dead tired. He drove home in a daze, trying to stay awake as best he could and had to practically drag his ass inside by the time he got home. 

Heading up to his room, he changed into some comfy pajamas and crawled into bed. He felt good, knowing he did a good thing for both Billy and for Max. Sure, he wasn't the best at taking care of sick ones, but he gave it his best shot and he did pretty good. Snuggling up under his sheets, he giggled quietly as he hummed. 

_Too late to be known as John the First_  
 _He's sure to be known as John the worst_  
 _A pox on that phony king of Engla--_ "achoo!"

Shaking his head, Steve sniffed a few times before groaning.

"Son of a-- _achoo!"_

**Author's Note:**

> Told you it was fluffy...
> 
> Not my best work but I thought we could all use a little mindless fluff. 
> 
> An a less than positive note, with the rapid spread of the Coronavirus, is everyone okay? My heart goes out to anyone who isn't or has someone they knew struggling due to the virus. Let's hope an end to this madness is in sight.


End file.
